Finally got around to listening to Perfume's JPN and Maki's Ai Kotoba (VOICE). Both were generally good, if not a little middle-of-the-road. All of the singles in both were great and the album tracks worked well enough. Perfume's album songs were almost single quality, but a little interchangeable and a few of Maki's were just snooze-fests. Perfume has a consistent sound, but not as much variance as is uaual from Perfume albums. Maki had some progression, but it was strange. The dance-y stuff stuck out from the rest of the pop/rock/RnB stuff. I recommend them both, but probably Perfume's a little more than Maki.

Finally got around to listening to Perfume's JPN and Maki's Ai Kotoba (VOICE). Both were generally good, if not a little middle-of-the-road. All of the singles in both were great and the album tracks worked well enough. Perfume's album songs were almost single quality, but a little interchangeable and a few of Maki's were just snooze-fests. Perfume has a consistent sound, but not as much variance as is uaual from Perfume albums. Maki had some progression, but it was strange. The dance-y stuff stuck out from the rest of the pop/rock/RnB stuff. I recommend them both, but probably Perfume's a little more than Maki.

I bought myself three albums for Christmas. Rihanna's 'Loud', Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' and The Strokes 'Is This It?' - I'm going to make sure I buy a lot of albums over the next month or two, as when I get back to Aus, everything's going to become epic more expensive.

Man, they better put some of this stuff up as DLC in Dance Masters or release a new one <3 And Jubeat did have some really good stuff. I haven't been able to keep up on it, though, I need to reinstall it and never got around to it.

The Strokes 'Is This It?'

One of the best albums ever made. Though I might actually like "Room On Fire" a little more, but "Is This It" hit me like a ton of bricks when it came out, since it was first.

That's pretty cool, though I have this feeling like I almost wanted her to stay on hiatus just cause her entire discography is so good as it was before the hiatus that I didn't want her to release new songs and they suck. Plus, I already owned her entire discography and don't want to buy more :P But I'll definitely be downloading this and checking it out, maybe buying if its great and/or includes a DVD.

That's pretty cool, though I have this feeling like I almost wanted her to stay on hiatus just cause her entire discography is so good as it was before the hiatus that I didn't want her to release new songs and they suck. Plus, I already owned her entire discography and don't want to buy more :P But I'll definitely be downloading this and checking it out, maybe buying if its great and/or includes a DVD.

Well from the looks of the content, Tomoko agrees with you because it's basically February covering Heavenly stuff and vise-versa? It sorta gets confusing.

So this rant is about American music! Why is it that I finally found an English song I absolutely adore (A Thousand Years by Christina Perri), it's associated with TWILIGHT?! WHY! Stop tainting good sounding songs!!

I can't tell if this is sarcastic or not, especially since the video has already been taken down, but her first album actually like 3 or 4 listenable songs on it, even if she's really not a good singer and some of the songs are so god-awful I can't even listen to 10 seconds of them.

I guess it's only surprising that it didn't happen years ago, considering Kyo's singing style and his stage act. I hope it's only a temporary thing, otherwise I'll be pretty bitter about missing their European tour in 2011. But I'll always remain proud of being at their famous first concert in Berlin in 2005.

I can't tell if this is sarcastic or not, especially since the video has already been taken down, but her first album actually like 3 or 4 listenable songs on it, even if she's really not a good singer and some of the songs are so god-awful I can't even listen to 10 seconds of them.

I can't find another video of it, but it was bad. It was called Drunk Text, and she doesn't even sing. She just speaks the whole time. She's supposedly working on another album for this year.

Electropop group Perfume has announced that they are changing record labels, from Tokuma Japan Communications to Universal J (part of Universal Music). Their first single under the new label will be “Spring of Life,” scheduled for release this spring. The song is being used in a new commercial for Kirin Chuhai Hyoketsu, which begins airing on television today.

With the move to Universal, which has operations or licensees in 77 countries, Perfume is aiming to expand their audience globally. Their latest album “JPN,” released last November, will be made available on the iTunes Store in 50 countries other than Japan, beginning on March 6.

In addition to updating their official website, Perfume has launched an official global website aimed at overseas fans. The site currently has a countdown timer, set to reach zero at 0:00 on March 6. The site also features tweets using the Twitter hashtag #Perfume_um.

This is a big step up for Perfume and the new CM song sounds nice. Yasutaka-types have usually been on Contemode [sic][citation needed] which I think was a subsidiary of Tokuma (which I think was under Yamaha). Maybe? Universal clearly sees something with a wide-appeal in a group like this. Hopefully, they don't try to do anything beyond some tours and digital downloads because physical CD sales are circling the drain.

CDJapan is listing the special limited box set as CD+5DVD. It'll have the CD+DVD (4 new PVs+makings), 2 DVD Countdown Live, and Blu-Ray of her last tour Power of Music 2011 A. It also includes half-pint glasses, coasters, and something for an Ayupan AR app?There's also CD, CD+DVD (with PVs), and CD+2DVD (PVs, entire Countdown Live) editions.

Now, I couldn't find a decent write-up from a well-known source (read: Tokyograph as they are oft to do), but here's someone's opinion on the release and it's hilarious. Apparently, Ayumi Hamasaki and Koda Kumi have stopped being pillars of pop music and are now rival school girls constantly jabbing at each other. Read the comments, too.

1. I had an outburst at the contemode community in Livejournal over the Universal move because they've fucked over a lot of my favorite artists, but I think Perfume's safe because they're not indie-popularity-level anymore.

2. That reminds me, I had a dream involving Ayu last night! I don't even know what happened. It wasn't a sexy dream, which would make Al happy, though he would probably consider any night-thoughts of Ayu to be nightmares...but whatever I STILL LOVE H.E.R.

I'm excited for the new album. I wish I could afford it, but I balked even at the Gomaki album that recently came out. $90...sigh.

Electropop group Perfume has announced that they are changing record labels, from Tokuma Japan Communications to Universal J (part of Universal Music). Their first single under the new label will be “Spring of Life,” scheduled for release this spring. The song is being used in a new commercial for Kirin Chuhai Hyoketsu, which begins airing on television today.

With the move to Universal, which has operations or licensees in 77 countries, Perfume is aiming to expand their audience globally. Their latest album “JPN,” released last November, will be made available on the iTunes Store in 50 countries other than Japan, beginning on March 6.

In addition to updating their official website, Perfume has launched an official global website aimed at overseas fans. The site currently has a countdown timer, set to reach zero at 0:00 on March 6. The site also features tweets using the Twitter hashtag #Perfume_um.

This is a big step up for Perfume and the new CM song sounds nice. Yasutaka-types have usually been on Contemode [sic][citation needed] which I think was a subsidiary of Tokuma (which I think was under Yamaha). Maybe? Universal clearly sees something with a wide-appeal in a group like this. Hopefully, they don't try to do anything beyond some tours and digital downloads because physical CD sales are circling the drain.

We have a Perfume thread. Pretty and no one ever uses it. Good thing I came here first because I would have posted this again.

Holy. Crap. Wapiko mentioned this in the capsule thread, but fucking RAM RIDER, one of Japan's best best best producers, is coming out with two new albums April 11, "AUDIO GALAXY -RAM RIDER vs STARS-" and "AUDIO GALAXY -RAM RIDER STRIKES BACK-." They seem to be named after his current internet radio program, Audio Galaxy. "vs STARS" will be a collab album and "STRIKES BACK" will be an original album.

RAM RIDER's been kind of lower-key than other electronic/electro-pop artists, but his sound and style are entire highways ahead of other artists. Here are a fewRRsongs to whetyourappetite. This is Daft Punk-level news, you guys. My world is askew right now at his return

Looks like we'll be getting another big idol group soon. With her pedigree for female idols, it should be interesting to see what they come up with musically. The way they are creating it is interesting also.

Anyone listen to Party Queen yet? It's a weird strange sound, especially with that title. It makes me expect something very dance-pop, but she's got this dark and mature tone lately and a lot of this has a circus sound. Some of the songs are soft ballads and then there are these really minimal and really cheap-sounding songs. You can't just call it "Party Queen" and then only have 3 party-esque tracks. Has the goose run out of golden eggs?

I think EVERYONE was expecting a dance-pop extravaganza from Ayu. At first I was disappointed, but then I realized that Ayu has never done dance-pop THAT well.

This may be pushing it, but I think Party Queen is easily one of her best works. And it's the first I've been able to listen to the bulk of since SECRET (Though Love Songs was pretty good, too). Everything on it was pretty catchy.

You guys make me feel like an old fart 'cause the last thing I liked from Ayu was (miss)understood... and those weren't even her own damn songs.

But I hope Party Queen is really depressing in the face of her recent divorce because heart-wrenching, depressing songs are what she does best. (I really like her electronica songs too, but she hasn't really done those since I am...)